Popular passages

Page 228 - Aim at perfection in everything, though in most things it is unattainable ; however, they who aim at it, and persevere, will come much nearer it, than those whose laziness and despondency make them give it up as unattainable.

Page 207 - Marlborough possessed the graces in the highest degree, not to say engrossed them ; for I will venture (contrary to the custom of profound historians, who always assign deep causes for great events) to ascribe the better half of the Duke of Marlborough's greatness and riches to those graces.

Page 224 - ... of ancient authors by heart, which they improperly and impertinently retail in all companies, in hopes of passing for scholars. If, therefore, you would avoid the accusation of pedantry on one hand, or the suspicion of ignorance on the other, abstain from learned ostentation. Speak the language of the company you are in; speak it purely, and unlarded with any other.

Page 138 - On the other hand, the cunning, crafty man thinks to gain all his ends by the suaviter in modo only : he becomes all things to all men ; he seems to have no opinion of his own, and servilely adopts the present opinion of the present person ; he insinuates himself only into the esteem of fools, but is soon detected, and surely despised by every body else. The wise man (who differs as much from the cunning, as from the choleric man) alone joins the suaviter in modo with thefortiter in re.

Page 62 - ... language which answers to their word police, which therefore we have been obliged to adopt, not having, as they say, the thing. It does not occur to me that we have any one word in our language (I hope not from the same reason) to express the ideas which they comprehend under the word les masurs.

Page 79 - He is an admirable scholar, and I really believe has all Horace by heart; I know he has him always in his pocket. His red face, inflamed nose, and swelled legs, make him generally thought a hard drinker by those who do not know him; but I must do him the justice to say, that I never saw him disguised with liquor in my life. It is true, he is a very large man, and can hold a great deal, which makes the colonel call him, pleasantly enough, a vessel of election. "The last and least (concluded my friend)...

Page 202 - His figure (without being deformed) seems made to disgrace or ridicule the common structure of the human body. His legs and arms are never in the position which, according to the situation of his body, they ought to be in, but constantly employed in committing acts of hostility upon the Graces.